Another local LED lighting company angry over being snubbed

An executive with another Windsor-based digital LED lighting company expressed anger Tuesday how Chinese company BYD has been allowed by the city and Enwin Utilities to pilot test 30 LED street lights, while local firms have been shut out from a similar opportunity.

“We are trying to employ local people and you don’t get a chance to put your own lights in this city. It’s amazing,” said Steve Pokrajac, CEO for Tesla Digital Inc.

“It seems nobody is in charge except the mayor and when I call he can’t be reached.”

Pokrajac’s complaints come on the heels of executives at Pristine LED who criticized city officials last week for refusing to return phone calls to discuss business opportunities, including the possibility of pilot testing street lights.

“If Pristine got the contract I wouldn’t mind as long as it’s someone locally,” he said. “We are trying to employ people here and develop expertise right here in Windsor.”

Mayor Eddie Francis, chairman of Windsor Canada Utilities, which oversees Enwin, said Tesla or anyone else can call and request the same privilege given to BYD.

“Tesla has not approached us wanting to do a pilot project,” he said. “If Tesla wants to run a test project on street lights, give us a call.”

Pokrajac did just that later Tuesday and was told the mayor was unavailable and left a message.

“If that’s what he is saying, my response is how, where and who do I need to talk to?” said the Tesla owner. “I haven’t been able to get the guy for years.”

With the support of the local economic development commission, Tesla was opened three years ago by Pokrajac and specializes in high-efficiency lighting systems. The company is located at 602 Ellis St. W.

The Toronto native says he has invested in years of research and development in a digital LED-based lighting system that is 20 times more efficient than compact fluorescent lighting products on the market today.

He vowed if the city was interested, his products could provide up to $13 million in annual operational savings for street lights and would essentially eliminate the upfront costs of purchasing his product which are roughly $400 apiece. Current street lights cost about $1,000 each and $600 annually to operate, while his product is about $60 in operating costs each year, Pokrajac said.

“I feel like moving out because wherever we go, even other countries, they ask me ‘what about your city?’ and ‘are they using your product?’” he said. “People see I can’t get people in my own city to listen.

“I’m angry. The mayor is aware of our lights, the city officials are aware and nobody says ‘let’s see it.’”

Pristine opened on Jefferson Boulevard in Windsor less than a year ago with hopes of providing up to 300 jobs. Instead it employs 25, said company president Bruce Melmer. He also repeated his criticism Tuesday of the way he has been treated by the city, including recent permission for BYD to pilot test street lights.

Melmer was meeting with officials in Chatham-Kent on Tuesday where Pristine has already found some work and was discussing more opportunities. It further entrenched frustrations in dealing with Windsor officials where the company’s head office is located.

“It doesn’t help with credibility when the city where you are located doesn’t support what you are doing,” Melmer said. “We don’t want anything special at all, we just want to be included in the process.”

Pristine has also never made an official request regarding a street light pilot project, the mayor said.

“If Tesla or Pristine wants to run a pilot project we have no problem with that,” Francis said. “The whole purpose is to gather data and determine whether we can save money.”

Francis indicated there are other LED pilot projects also underway — in Malden Park with a Canadian company Philips Lumec, at the festival plaza with a firm Avia and at David Suzuki public school with Canadian company LED Roadway Lighting.

The mayor also trumpeted the city’s involvement with BYD as being much larger than just about street lights. Francis and others locally are trying to lobby the Chinese company to locate an electric bus production facility in the city which may create between 100 to 500 jobs.

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